Tips for making your life betterfrom best-selling author, Donna Stellhorn

The Five Elements

Feng Shui is the
art of creating a harmonious environment; one that nurtures and sustains
a person. It is believed that if our environment is balanced and
peaceful that we will be stronger, smarter, more energetic, and happier
in our lives. Thousands of years ago the Chinese set down the beginnings
of Feng Shui, rules for creating a wonderful environment. And what they
found is when these rules were followed that people prospered. The rules
were passed down, added to, and fine-tuned into the art of Feng Shui as
we know it today.

To learn how to create environments for people the Chinese turned
first to the rules
of agriculture. They observed that seeds sown in a fertile area, with
sunshine and water, and sheltered from the weather, thrived. And the same
kind of seeds, planted in rocky areas that get little sun or rain,
would not flourish. They observed this in people as well, two
people from similar families, born in the same year and of similar
intelligence would do differently in different environments.

Then Chinese took it one step further. If you could change the fate
of seeds by clearing some of the rocks before planting and
irrigating the plants then why not change the fate of people by altering
their environment. This was the beginning of Feng Shui.

The Chinese looked at the world and divided everything, from rocks
and trees to rain and fire, into five elements,
five building blocks that create all things. (These five elements
illustrated in the column to the right.) Using these five elemental concepts
Feng Shui experts balance the
environment we live in.

To bring more stability into the your life add Earth. To the house
add things made of earth, brick, stone, pottery, and rock. Add the color
yellow or add things that are boxy or table like in shape.

To will bring more growth into your life add Wood. Add to the house
things made of wood, trees, bushes, flowers, arbors, and porches. Add
the color green or add things that are tall and obelisk in shape.

To bring more prosperity into your life add Metal. To the house
add things that are made of metal, wind chimes, bells, sun dials, and
sculptures. Add the color white or add things that are round and coin
shaped.

To attract more social connections that lead to relationships and
business success add Water. Put into the house things that are
made of water or represent water. Add fountains, pools, ponds or
representations of water such as dry river beds, bridges or bird baths.
Add the color black or add things that are made of glass and of an
undulating shape.

To give you and your family more vitality and energy add Fire. Add things made of fire
to the house, such as plastics, fire pits, torches, and ovens. Add the
color red or add things that are pointed in shape like a flame.

These five elements can exist
in a creative cycle or a destructive cycle. And that article is coming
soon.

Earth

Earth
representing things that are flat, table like, or made of clay and stone
and representing the energy of stability

Wood

Wood,
representing things that are tall like trees, of things made of wood and
plants, also representing the energy of growth

Fire

Fire,
representing triangular things like the shape of a flame and things that
are manmade such as plastics, also representing energy

Metal

Metal,
representing round shapes, and things made of metal and representing
abundance

Water

Water,
representing irregular shapes, water itself and things made of glass and
also representing flow and communication